Stonehenge pays tribute to Queen for Platinum Jubilee and people are divided

Virgin Radio

30 May 2022, 11:08

With the bank holiday fast approaching it’s fair to say the nation has caught a bit of Jubilee fever.

Everywhere you look are union jacks, corgis and crowns and the latest to get swept up in the celebrations is Stonehenge.

The heritage site, located on the Salisbury Plains in Wiltshire, has lit up with eight images of the Queen over her 70-year-reign to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee this week.

In one of the photos we see a black and white image of the Queen during her coronation in 1953. In another, we see Her Majesty with her beloved corgis in the 60s and later in the 80s, and one of her riding a horse as a young woman.

Although Stonehenge is managed by English Heritage, it is actually owned by the Crown and the land surrounding it by the National Trust.

For this reason, English Heritage are hosting a range of family events across its sites for the Bank Holiday weekend. However, this particular tribute to the Queen has left a lot of people divided.

Some believe it is a great celebration of Her Majesty and the milestone Jubilee, while others see the tribute as unnecessary and perhaps a little silly.

Taking to Twitter to share their opinions, one user wrote: “This is nuts, or should I say, complete unhenged..”

Another said: “Aesthetically, I don't personally like what @EH_Stonehenge have done here - it feels a bit crass. But it's a reminder that Stonehenge is a site with ongoing history. It's been politically co-opted since at least the 12th century; we shouldn't expect the 21st to be any different”.

Given the myths and legend surrounding the magical qualities of Stonehenge, some made a joke of the display, with one person commenting: “This is actually a spell of binding, it means the queen's soul is now trapped within the stones and will not be released until she has performed three tasks for the stonelords.”

Well, that’s one way to celebrate.

There were, of course, many who found it a touching tribute to the Queen and one user said: “What a beautiful and amazing tribute by #EnglishHeritage – projecting images of The Queen, from each decade of her reign, on to Stonehenge to mark her #PlatinumJubilee 👏👏👏👏📷 @EnglishHetitage”.

Another wrote: “This is just spectacular! Stonehenge is lighting up for #HM70”.

A third commented: “This is amazing 😍😍😍”.

What do you make of it?